Poker can be very lucrative if you know what you’re doing. If you don’t have a clue what you’re doing, then you can lose everything. Below are some tips on how you can master the art of playing poker in 30 days or less.
The key is to know your mindset, the basics of the game and to keep practicing. You need to practice with both real life in-person poker and online poker. The best online poker company is 888 Poker and they will give you everything you need to be successful online.
1. Understand the terms
The terms are the most basic thing to know about the game, but without you knowing the basics, you’re already putting yourself at a disadvantage. Once you master these, they will become second nature.
- Addon: Allows you to buy more chips, some tournaments offer this, some don’t.
- Ante: The first bet posted by each player before the cards are dealt.
- All-in: A player uses up all their remaining chips, so you can see it as their last bet of the game.
- Bad beat: When a strong hand loses to a weaker one.
- Blind bet: A compulsory bet used at the start of the game to bring some much needed action.
- The board: Community cards in a full poker game.
- Button: A disc that lets you know who the dealer is, it move clockwise with each hand.
- Call: To bet the same amount as the current bet.
- Cap: The last raise permitted on a betting round.
- Check: When there is no more bets on the table for that round of betting.
- Community cards: All players can use these to make their hand.
- Dealer button: Player with the button is the nominated dealer for each hand
- Door card: The third card dealt to each player.
- Draw: To receive a card from a dealer.
- Fifth street: The final board card in Texas holdem.
- Fish: A weak unskilled player.
- Flop: The first three board cards dealt which are turned up at the same time.
- Fold: To quit the game and drop out.
- Heads up: A situation where only two people remain in the hand.
- Whole cards: Cards are dealt face down to each player.
2. Know your numbers
How’s your head for numbers? When you get more advanced you’ll need to keep track of the implied odds, expected outs and bet sizes all the way through each game. This will increase your chances of making big money. They are as equally as important as the bluffing and psychology aspect of gambling.
3. Get familiar with your instincts
You know that gut level feeling you get when you know something bad is going to happen? Well that’s real and big time pro poker players use this 6th sense to help them win at high stakes poker tournaments. Analyse your opponents, sniff out fake bluffs, know when to adapt in a game and switch things up so you can stay one step ahead of everyone else.
4. Remove your emotions from the game
With any type of gambling, you need to know when to quit… play by a set of rules that you stick to and NEVER let your emotions get the better of you. As soon as you become emotional, you will make very bad decisions which could cost you a ton of money. Train that part of your mind to remain calm in any situation.
